The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-04-02
SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 1887.
Libelling Maryland,

The committee of seven of the National
collect information of the operation of the
civil-service law, &C., has made its report.
Four of the seven are Republicans, and pos
sibly more, and among them is Mr.. Charles
J. Bonaparte, of Baltimore, whose hatred of
democracy and contempt for republican in
situations are we'll known. He has figured,
in recent years, too, as the opponent of the
education of the masses, and when he ap-
pears in public it is always in opposition to all
constituted things.
In their report, which is a lengthy one, oc-
easion is taken to libel the state of Maryland,
and the name of Bonaparte at the bottom is
sufficient to establish the authorship of that
particular part.
SIN no state in the Union probably are
politics more corrupt, is the exact language
applied to Maryland, and no falsehood in the
report has smaller foundation. In no coun-
ty in the state has fraud been charged by the
most reckless partisan for some years, and all
but two or three have ever been exempt from
any such imputation. There have been
charges of unfair and corrupt elections in Bal
timore, but where is there city that has
escaped? And the allegations, to certain
extent, are true, but Mr.. Bonaparte knows
that the Maryland Legislature, by division
of the voting places, by new registration,
and by strict laws, have done much to prevent
fraud and corruption. He knows, too, that
elections are about as fair in Baltimore as it
is possible to make them, and no charges OF
irregularity or fraud have been heard for sew.
eral years except from the little coterie OF
selfadmirers, known as the Civil-Service Re-
form Association of Maryland. And the great
sin lies, to a great extent, in the people not
putting in exalted position these same people.
If they were taken up and given places of
honor and profit, the allegations of fraud
would cease. Envy, hatred, jealousy and
malice are the foundation of the cry of cor
ruption, but the real fault lies in the over
estimate these Civil-Service Reformers put
upon themselves.
Senator German is also soundly berated in
the report, but he can laugh at their efforts.
In the fall of 1886 his reelection to the SEN
ate was made an issue in the campaign. This
same Charles j. Bonaparte and the whole
Civil Service Reform Association, aided by
disappointed aspirants and the entire Repub-
lican party, made vigorous attack upon Mr..
German. They fairly went mad in their cru
SADIE against him and sacrificed good taste
ana truth in their efforts to accomplish their
object The result was, however, TIE Mary
land Legislature was more largely Democratic
than for some years previous, and Mr.. Cor
man was without an opponent for the Sena.
torship. Less self sufficient people would see
their impotency in public affairs in the State,
but there seems no bounds to the vanity and
selfimportance of these great luminaries.
Our esteemed contemporary, the Baltimore
Sun, repels the libel put forward by this re-
port, and in rather vigorous language, too.
Here is an extract from it:
.sThe report processes to deal with civil
service reform as a whole and its results
vet very considerable space is devoted to
politics in Maryland for in no state, says the
report, "are politics more corrupt" This as
sertion is not to be wondered at in view of the
composition of the committee and the gross
ly exaggerated statements which have gone to
the country through the outrageous utterances
of some of our citizens aided by Mr.. Curtiss
''Journal of Civilization. This condemna-
ton of an entire State is the more reckless
and untrue because no man who has the slight
est regard for truth has pretended that cleo
tons are unfair in any sense outside the city
of Baltimore. Here, the report informs us,
sifraud and dishonesty are especially tamil-
iar." 1t is to be regretted that this commit.
tee could not adhere to their purpose to tell
what only had been done in the cause of re-
form, without stopping to libel this state
and it would appear that there must have been
special influences at work to divert it from
its course This part of the report reads like
a chapter from our delightful Republican
monthly, and does much to detract from the
otherwise apparent fairness of the paper. 1t
was of course legitimate to criticise Mr.. Cor
mans influence in securing appointments un-
der the present administration and to show
that any of such appointments were not pro-
per to be made. This is all in the line of the
comment proposed, and no one can object to
it. But the minuteness of discussion touch
ing the politics of this state and the character
of that discussion give to the report the color
of an electioneering document